Who do you spend the most time with?
I spend most of the time with my work colleagues to be honest. Well. Truthfully it’s probably even Steven’s between them and my wife and dog, though it does sometimes feel that I’m more at work than home.
As I can’t show any work pictures on here, please enjoy this delectable little YouTube short of my dog wishing you a happy day.
Enjoy.
There is a form of amateur radio comms that I enjoy and that is slow scan television. Here’s a basic explanation:
A literal term for SSTV is narrowband television. Analog broadcast television requires at least 6 MHz wide channels, because it transmits 25 or 30 picture frames per second (see ITU analog broadcast standards), but SSTV usually only takes up to a maximum of 3 kHz of bandwidth. It is a much slower method of still picture transmission, usually taking from about eight seconds to a couple of minutes, depending on the mode used, to transmit one image frame.
Since SSTV systems operate on voice frequencies, amateurs use it on shortwave (also known as HF by amateur radio operators), VHF and UHF radio.
Wikipedia
In this Instance below I used a digital transceiver and was pointing the aerial in the general direction of the International space station as it passed overhead on a specific date, when the Russian section of the ISS was transmitting slow scan television pictures as it passed over. I used my iPhone to decode the signal and to produce the pictures, using an app I had installed earlier. This was all part of a day celebrating the anniversary of Sputnik, the world’s first man made transmitting satellite.
My setup was totally mobile and so basic that I just about managed to get partial scans via this technique, see the two pictures below. I was literally sitting in the front seat of my car.
Even though my pictures were not perfect I was still able to supply proof that I received the transmission and as a result was issued with the certificate below from ARISS – Amateur radio on the International Space Station, find out more about ARISS Here: ARISS
There are many of these types of events that occur all year round where you can experiment with all types of equipment to make contact with distant radio stations. This is the spirit of amateur radio.
Have you ever appeared on the Television?
From Series 9 Episode 26 broadcast on 29/07/15
The Barrister is on fine form but will Hayley and Dave be able to walk away with £7,000?The Chase
I was just looking around what’s on my YouTube channel and to be honest there’s not a great deal. However I saw this little nugget of Tv gold and thought I’d share it with you.
Yep that’s me almost 9 years ago when I had most of my faculties about me, what went wrong?
I had my hour of fame to be honest and in the end myself and Hayley came away with a win. My share went towards a kitchen we were installing at the time and I believe Hayley, who was a student nurse at the time was going to put it towards her first car.
Sean Wallace the chaser was a lovely guy. Nothing like his tv persona, he came and met up with us after filming and was a right charmer. I have met him since travelling on the Bakerloo underground line as I believe he used to live in and around the Willesden area in London.
Perhaps I need to get one of those “I beat the chaser” tee shirts.
It was a fun day and created a lot of good memories.
I’ve just obtained a bunch of photo manuals for cameras and related photography items from the last 40 years or so. Close to 80 of them.
Now I know these aren’t repairable items keeping in harmony with this site, however they are popular, and I just happen to have a few of these cameras available. What I’m thinking is that these manuals would be a nice little addition when I sell on said cameras to the unsuspecting world. It’s just that little bit extra that just could swing a sale.
The ones I have left I can just sell on as they seem to attract a reasonable price on line. Either way, I’m keeping them out of landfill and that is one of the purposes of this site.
I may even be able to make some kind of collage back drop with them or use some old photos as an alternative skin on one of my old cameras. Something arty-farty you know.
Listing them all online is going to take an age. Maybe I could ask the wife to assist in this matter. Now that will cost me a handbag at least.
If you had to change your name, what would your new name be?
It would be…….Betty Swallocks
Use your imagination guys 😂
Have a super day.
Describe your dream chocolate bar.
Never ending, Fruit and nut with a caramel centre, coconut sprinkles and made from Lindt chocolate.
Handsome.
It would certainly keep the cardiac department in “fruitful” employment 🤦♂️
A good day to you all.
Do you remember your favorite book from childhood?
See this is what I’m getting at, the prompt from yesterday was not much different from this one for today. The guy that does the prompts at WordPress must be getting right bored.
Anyway, just as well I read a lot as a youngster. One of my favourite books I read as a youngster was the Cockleshell Heroes by C.E Lucas Philips. This book was published in 1956 about 9 years before I arrived on the scene.
I was a bi product of that period post wartime when the big rebuild of the country and the economy was starting to kick start. As a kid it was all war films and war comics so it was only natural to read war book’s wasn’t it?
It’s another book that I’ve read more than once and as a youngster it’s sheer excitement and intrigue kept me engrossed from cover to cover.
I hope tomorrow’s prompt is another subject, I quite fancy “What did you eat yesterday?”, for a change. (Only joking 🙃)
Anyway have a darned nice day and enjoy the sun if you are fortunate enough to see it.
Yes I’ve just had one of those moments, a silly one I guess. It confounds me how this Blog machine gets its viewing stats, and in a moment of madness I thought I’d just test out how far a stupid blog post actually goes so here it is.
This is about my level of silliness at this current moment. A random car battery terminal.
But it’s a positive one.
Sorry about that, I’ll find my own way out.
Have a happy day
At work last evening I had to attend the old signal box at Mantle lane, a signalling location on the old Leicester to Burton line ELR ref KSL.
I was walking across the official walkway and I stopped at the halfway point and took these two pictures on my Phone. The lines are sparsely used at the moment and only by stone trains taking their loads from Stud farm or Bardon hill.
There are public enquiries taking place to reopen this line as a passenger thoroughfare, after being closed many years ago. Personally I can’t see it happening as it would involve massive investment and I can’t see our current government dipping there hands in their pockets for this project.
Just thought I’d put this up to show the two pictures, enjoy.
List three books that have had an impact on you. Why?
I was a kid of the sixties, one of Apollos children as I lived through those heady days of the space race. Carl Sagan was one of those superb teachers that could bring a highly complex scientific process down to a level every one could understand and there haven’t been that many people who have followed him who can do the same. I have read the book and watched the series many times, I’m sure I will do the same soon.
I love Laurie Lees ability to be able to teleport you into his life as a child growing up in the country. I first read this book at school and then read it again about 30 years later. The things you notice in this book as an adult against what you read as a child shows how much our knowledge and attention grows as you mature. It’s a go to holiday read for me as it’s one of those comfortable books. His other books about the Spanish civil war are also very well written and insightful.
I love Cyprus and everything about it. This book by Lawrence Durrell gives a fascinating insight into the old ways of the island pre-invasion, as he travels around documenting the many people and ways of the island. I must have read this book a good six times now and I never tire of it. I suspect number seven will be coming up very soon.
You can’t beat a relationship with a good book.
Have a peaceful day everyone.
Foxes Den 
You must be logged in to post a comment.